Crushed Christmas cookie brings hazmat team to Framingham prison

Saturday

Jan 5, 2013 at 12:01 AMJan 5, 2013 at 5:05 AM

A red, powdery substance found in an inmate's incoming mail on Friday at MCI-Framingham's pre-release center was neither poison nor contraband nor chemical threat. Rather, a fire official said, it was a smushed holiday treat.

Norman Miller/Daily News staff

A red, powdery substance found in an inmate's incoming mail on Friday at MCI-Framingham's pre-release center was neither poison nor contraband nor chemical threat. Rather, a fire official said, it was a smushed holiday treat.

"It had a gingerbread appearance to it," said Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Burns. "(The hazardous materials team) determined it was kind of harmless."

MCI's protocol is to open all incoming mail sent to prisoners. Around 2 p.m., two employees opening mail in a garage at the pre-release center discovered the reddish powder and called the fire department. Burns said he looked at the powder and could not determine what it was.

He called for a state hazardous materials team to come, and five technicians, along with a piece of equipment that tests for radiological, explosive and other materials, went to the prison to examine the powder.

The five members, wearing Tyvek suits and respirators, then entered the garage to scope out the powder, Burns said.

"It was made up of sugar and other baking ingredients," said Burns. "They think it may have been one of those Christmas ornament cookies that a child sent to one of their mothers who is incarcerated there that got crushed in the mail."

Although the whole event lasted more than four hours, Burns said he does not consider it a waste of time.

"It was a good practice of the system," he said. "Everything worked the way it should, and fortunately, it wasn't a hazardous material."

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date crime news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter at @Norman_MillerMW.